Recap: Erik Thommy on target in Sporting's 2-1 loss to D.C. United

Sporting Kansas City (0-3-0, 0 points) fell to a frustrating 2-1 loss at D.C. United (1-0-2, 5 points) on Saturday night at Audi Field in the nation’s capital.

Erik Thommy fired Sporting ahead on a wonderfully worked team goal in the 53rd minute, but the hosts restored parity through a Christian Benteke penalty kick near the hour mark and found their winner on a Hosei Kijima header in the 68th minute.

The result condemns Sporting to a third straight league defeat to open the 2025 campaign, which will continue next Saturday, March 15, when regional rivals Minnesota United FC visit Children’s Mercy Park for a nationally televised clash on FS1. Kickoff is slated for 7:25 p.m. CT with tickets available via SeatGeek.

Manager Peter Vermes made three changes to the Sporting lineup from last weekend’s 2-1 home loss to the San Jose Earthquakes. Center back Dany Rosero replaced Robert Voloder, left back Logan Ndenbe entered for Tim Leibold and defensive midfielder Nemanja Radoja started in place of Jacob Bartlett, whose older brother Lucas Bartlett started in central defense for D.C. United.

In a hotly contested battle that saw referee Rosendo Mendoza produce 11 total yellow cards, Sporting and D.C. locked horns for the first time since 2022—and for the first time at Audi Field since 2019. United could have taken the lead inside five minutes, but Sporting goalkeeper John Pulskamp conjured a superb reflex save to deny Gabriel Pirani at the near post.

Costly giveaways afforded both teams good looks in quick succession, with Manu Garcia feeding fellow Sporting newcomer Shapi Suleymanov for a chance that went begging and Benteke misplaying an open Jared Stroud on the opposite end. Stroud and Benteke connected again in the 24th minute, the latter controlling a cross with his chest and uncorking a bicycle kick that bounced wide.

Sporting’s best opportunity of the first half came in the 36th minute when Suleymanov’s probing delivery into the box was met by Thommy, who touched the ball into the path of Dejan Joveljic. The Serbian striker’s shot under duress was blocked and D.C. subsequently cleared the danger. Both sides then traded blows on the cusp of intermission, with Benteke steering a header high and Suleymanov unleashing a wayward curler from distance.

At halftime, Sporting center back Jansen Miller replaced Rosero for his club debut after joining the club as a first-round pick in MLS SuperDraft 2025 last December. Minutes into his cameo, the Indiana University product did well to close space and block a shot on the edge of the box from Pirani.

Thommy vaulted Sporting ahead eight minutes into the second half, kickstarting the lethal counter-attack with a pinpoint diagonal ball to Suleymanov down the right channel. The Russian winger slipped a ball into the path of the underlapping Jake Davis, whose cutback pass found Thommy in stride. The German made no mistake from there, slotting low inside the near post for the 16th goal of his MLS regular season career.

D.C. roared back after falling behind and could have equalized in the 58th minute, but Pulskamp delivered another clutch stop to deny Benteke on the doorstep. Two minutes later, however, Benteke scored in his third straight appearance to open the season by smashing a penalty kick into the right corner. United had been awarded the penalty after Suleymanov fouled Joao Peglow on the left side of the box.

Sporting was desperately unfortunate not to retake the lead on 66 minutes when Manu Garcia sprang forward and fed Suleymanov, whose turf-trimming strike on the edge of the penalty area rattled the woodwork.

The visitors were made to pay shortly thereafter. Afforded space on the left channel, Peglow lofted a cross into the mixer for Kijima to nod past Pulskamp, giving D.C. a 2-1 advantage that would stand to the final whistle.

Kansas City committed numbers forward in the dying embers of the game, creating a pair of half chances off the foot of Garcia. The first resulted in a header from substitute William Agada the carried over the crossbar, while the second was a tantalizing free kick that skipped through traffic and nearly found Miller at the far post, resulting in a crunching collision between Miller and D.C. goalkeeper Kim Jun-hong.

2025 MLS Regular Season | Match 3
Audi Field | Washington, D.C.
Attendance: 15,183
Weather: 41 degrees and clear

Sporting Kansas City: John Pulskamp; Jake Davis, Dany Rosero (Jansen Miller 46'), Joaquin Fernandez, Logan Ndenbe; Nemanja Radoja, Zorhan Bassong, Manu Garcia; Shapi Suleymanov (William Agada 77'), Dejan Joveljic, Erik Thommy (C) (Daniel Salloi 88')

Subs Not Used: Ryan Schewe, Tim Leibold, Robert Voloder, Jacob Bartlett, Memo Rodriguez, Mason Toye

D.C. United: Kim Jun-hong; Aaron Herrera, Lucas Bartlett, Kye Rowles, David Schnegg; Hosei Kijima, Boris Enow (Matti Peltola 70'); Jared Stroud (Jacob Murrell 70'), Gabriel Pirani (Lukas MacNaughton 81'), Joao Peglow (Brandon Servania 81'); Christian Benteke (C) (Dominique Badji 81')

Subs Not Used: Luis Barraza, Derek Dodson, Fidel Barajas, Rida, Zouhir

Scoring Summary:
SKC -- Erik Thommy 1 (Jake Davis 1, Shapi Suleymanov 1) 53'
DC -- Christian Benteke 3 (penalty kick) 60'
DC -- Hosei Kijima 1 (Joao Peglow 1) 68'

Misconduct Summary:
SKC -- Dany Rosero (yellow card; unsporting behavior) 21'
DC -- Boris Enow (yellow card; unsporting behavior) 31'
DC -- Joao Peglow (yellow card; unsporting behavior) 38'
SKC -- Joaquin Fernandez (yellow card; unsporting behavior) 40'
SKC -- Jansen Miller (yellow card; unsporting behavior) 52'
DC -- Christian Benteke (yellow card; unsporting behavior) 76'
SKC -- John Pulskamp (yellow card; unsporting behavior) 82'
DC -- Kim Jun-hong (yellow card; time wasting) 90'
DC -- Lukas MacNaughton (yellow card; unsporting behavior) 90+8'
DC -- Aaron Herrera (yellow card; dissent) 90+9'

Referee: Rosendo Mendoza
Assistant Referee: Jeremy Kieso
Assistant Referee: Josa Da Silva
Fourth Official: Kevin Stott
VAR: Jeff Muschik
AVAR: Rubiel Vazquez